Brewing Belgian Beers?!

Boundary Bay Tripel

Belgian beers have a long and distinguished history…and a flavor profile that is uniquely their own.  Brewing with Belgian yeast often results in a distinctive spicy, pungent character and it’s not a style that we do very often here at Boundary Bay Brewery.  But, we’re always up for a new challenge so we entered into uncharted territory for us…all so we could participate in the Washington Beer Commission‘s 2nd Annual Belgianfest.

Last year, for the first Belgianfest, we brewed a Tripel which was received with high acclaim.  Our Tripel is golden in color, medium bodied and moderately hopped.  The flavor and aroma are both dominated by alcohol and Belgian yeast.  This beer has a nice malt backbone, is slightly earthy and has a dry finish.  And this heavyweight comes in at 9.5% ABV, so please enjoy responsibly!  This year, we uppped the ante and brewed the Tripel again as well as a Big Belgian Pale Ale.  We’re calling it the Big Belgian Pale as most Belgian Pales rank in around 5% ABV while ours tips the scales at 6.7%.  It is light to medium in body and a bit stronger than the average Belgian pale ale.  The nose has malt, Belgian yeast and a touch of hops.  The flavor is earthy, malty and slightly alcoholic.  Considering the alcohol content, it is very quaffable if we do say so ourselves!

We have our Big Belgian Pale on tap at the brewery now and we should have the Tripel soon, but you can also get a taste at Belgianfest which takes place at Warren G. Magnuson Park (Seattle) this Saturday (January 22nd).  Not only will you get a glimpse into the beer culture of Belgium, but you’ll also get to taste Belgian-style beers from over 20 Washington breweries.  And lots of us are brewing these babies for the first time, so this is a rare treat indeed!  Tickets are $30 advance or $35 at the door and your admission price includes ten 4 oz. tastes and a commemorative tasting glass.  There’s also a designated driver admission of just $5 (available at the door only) and includes free water and/or soda.  If they’ve got any advance tickets left, you can get ’em at Big Time Brewery or Full Throttle Bottles!

We’ll see you there…cheers!